“Israeli” Minister Rejects Trump’s “Board of Peace”, Urges Reoccupation of Gaza

By Staff, Agencies

A hardline “Israeli” minister responsible for illegal settlements, Orit Strock, has criticized US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” describing it as a “bad plan” and instead calling for “Israel” to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

Speaking in an interview with the settler radio station “Galey ‘Israel’” on Sunday, Strock said “Israeli” soldiers should not be placed at risk for what she portrayed as a flawed initiative. She warned that she could resign from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition if the plan is implemented.

“We are not supposed to endanger our soldiers for this bad plan, and I may have to leave,” she said.

Strock openly backed the idea of the “Israeli” entity reasserting direct control over Gaza, rejecting alternative governance arrangements.

In 2005, a unilateral disengagement plan led by then-prime minister Ariel Sharon resulted in the withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from Gaza and the removal of settlements.

Strock argued that the entity should be the sole authority in Gaza, dismissing proposals for a technocratic Palestinian administration that were agreed upon in the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which began last week.

Her remarks came days after Trump signed the founding charter of his self-styled “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, formally launching an initiative he has promoted as part of a broader Gaza strategy.

On January 15, Trump announced plans to establish the “Board of Peace” as part of his Gaza approach, a move that preceded the signing of a ceasefire agreement.

The board later received formal backing through UN Security Council Resolution 2803 in November 2025.

According to the White House, Trump chairs the board. Its charter does not explicitly mention Gaza, the densely populated coastal enclave home to roughly 2.4 million people, including about 1.5 million displaced residents facing severe humanitarian conditions.

The charter grants Trump sweeping lifelong powers, including the authority to veto decisions and appoint board members.

Experts have warned that the framework is designed to bypass the United Nations.

The genocidal war on Gaza, which began in October 2023 and lasted nearly two years, ended with a ceasefire after killing at least 71,657 Palestinians and injuring another 171,399.

The war caused massive destruction, with about 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed. The United Nations has estimated reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.

The second phase of the ceasefire was announced after “Israel,” with full US support, violated all terms of the first phase.

It includes provisions for the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups, further “Israeli” military withdrawal and the start of reconstruction efforts.

Hamas has rejected demands to give up its weapons, suggesting instead that they be “stored” or “frozen.”

The group maintains that it is a resistance movement against “Israel,” which the United Nations recognizes as the occupying power in the Palestinian territories.